How to choose when everyone’s a winner?

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I had an inspiring call recently with one of our US clients that I’d like to share. It’s a story that I hope will put a smile on your face, a spring in your step and encourage you to put video interviewing to the test!

Hope College in Michigan chose to use Video Recruit to enhance their process for selecting 2 students each year from developing countries to receive scholarships (one covering tuition only, one for tuition and living costs) for their full 4-year degree course. I spoke with Senior Associate Director Gary Camp:

“Until we discovered video interviewing, our scholarship selections were based on a combination of academic record, service and activities, essays, and references. While this was good, we weren’t able to learn about the personalities behind the words. All were intelligent and accomplished so, out of nearly 200 deserving candidates, how to choose when everyone’s a winner? 

Watching and listening to someone explain their thoughts give insights that just aren’t possible from reading them. The saying “a picture is worth a thousand words” is multiplied exponentially with video.
It’s amazing how much the videos bring these young people to life! Through them we get a strong sense of their passion and concern for others and their desire to serve. Being able to see their sincerity and
true character is the single greatest benefit of video interviewing for us. Video interviewing has put us in a better position to select young people who will really make a difference in the world. And that is our ultimate goal”.

And the lucky winner of "the full ride”? Well, let’s just say that he’s a young man who comes from one of Latin America’s poorest and most dangerous countries, a young man who didn’t even start school until he was 11 and who now gives up a good chunk of his free time teaching literacy and numeracy to orphans and uneducated adults in his community. Something tells me he’ll take this gift of education a long way. Video Recruit is proud to have helped Hope College find him.

Tagged: #candidate selection #video interviewing #scholarships